The Forge Best Pickaxe Recipes 2026 (Tier List & Progression Guide)

Pickaxes in The Forge are your core tools for mining ores, unlocking new areas, and speeding up progression in this Roblox mining game. Stronger pickaxes increase mining power, speed, and luck, letting you break tougher rocks and get better drops while pushing into late‑game zones. The Forge Best Pickaxe Recipes 2026 guide covers the best pickaxes, a practical tier list, recipes, ore locations, and an optimized progression path that works well on both PC and mobile.

The Forge Best Pickaxe Recipes 2026

How pickaxes work

Pickaxes determine how fast you break rocks, what ores you can mine, and how far you can progress into areas like Stonewake’s Cross, Forgotten Kingdom, Volcanic zones, and Crimson Depths. Basic picks are enough for starter stones, while advanced ones unlock rare ores and late‑game caves that require high power to mine efficiently. You craft pickaxes at forge/anvil stations by combining specific ores and cash, with the best tools offering 3 rune slots to stack power, speed, and luck bonuses.

Best pickaxe tier list (2026)

This tier list focuses on power, luck, speed, rune slots, and how useful each pickaxe is across the whole game rather than just raw stats. S‑tier options are late‑game/endgame picks, A‑tier are strong mid‑to‑late picks, and B/C tiers are mostly stepping stones you use briefly then replace.

Tier list

Dragon Head is generally regarded as the strongest overall pickaxe in 2026 because of its extremely high power, strong luck, and synergy with late‑game rune setups, but it is also the most expensive and grind‑heavy option. Demonic and Arcane stay relevant even after Dragon Head and are still realistic top goals for many players who do not want to grind out full Crimson Depths quests and cost.

Ore locations for key pickaxes

Understanding where ores spawn makes progression smoother because you avoid farming in the wrong zones for your next upgrade. Early ores are concentrated around Stonewake, while rarer materials appear deeper in Forgotten Kingdom, Volcanic areas, and Crimson Depths.

Important ore locations

Use parties, potions, and good races to increase luck when farming rare ores, especially Lightite, Magmaite, Demonite, and Crimson‑Depths materials. Group mining helps clear dense rock fields faster, indirectly boosting ore per hour and making expensive picks more achievable.

Pickaxe stats and traits

Different pickaxes emphasize power, luck, or speed, and the best options also give 3 rune slots so you can customize your build. Exact numbers can shift slightly with patches, but the relative gaps between picks stay similar and are more important than tiny stat differences.

Key pickaxe

Values are rounded / representative so you can compare roles; always check in‑game if a recent patch dropped.

Traits typically activate when a certain ore type reaches a threshold in the recipe, boosting things like mine speed, power, or luck in exchange for weaker secondary stats. For late‑game picks, build recipes to secure power and luck first, then stack speed with runes instead of sacrificing core stats in crafting.

Early‑game pickaxe recipes (Stonewake)

The goal in early‑game is to escape weak starter picks as fast as possible so you one‑shot pebbles and small rocks in Stonewake’s Cross. You should prioritize cheap upgrades that noticeably reduce hits per rock without demanding rare ores.

Early recipes

These picks generally give modest power boosts, minor luck, and 1 rune slot so you can start using simple power or speed runes. Do not over‑farm early recipes; move on as soon as rocks feel comfortable so you can reach Forgotten Kingdom quickly.

Mid‑game pickaxe recipes (Forgotten Kingdom)

Mid‑game opens when you reach Forgotten Kingdom and gain access to Titanium, Cobalt, Uranium, and Mythril. This is where you decide whether to take many small upgrades or rush straight to a strong mid‑late pick that carries you into Volcanic zones.

Mid‑game recipes

Aim for Mythril (or Titanium → Mythril) as your main mid‑game milestone because it gives good power, decent luck, and more rune flexibility. If you want to rush Arcane/Magma/Lightite, you can skip Uranium entirely and use party farming or runes to compensate for missing AoE.

Late‑game recipes (Volcanic & Arcane)

Late‑game begins once you farm Volcanic and related high‑level areas, giving access to Lightite, Magmaite, Demonite, and Arcane‑quest materials. At this point, every upgrade is expensive, so pick a clear target and avoid crafting “just for a small upgrade.”

Late‑game core picks

Arcane is a top recommendation for players who want a flexible pick that works everywhere thanks to its high luck and 3 rune slots. Demonic is better if you want raw power and flex value, but it is slower and more expensive, making it less efficient for some grind‑focused players compared with Arcane or Magma.

Dragon Head Pickaxe (new 2026 meta)

The Dragon Head Pickaxe is a new 2026 addition and is widely considered the true endgame pickaxe in The Forge. It is obtained through Crimson Depths content and is significantly more expensive than other options, but outperforms them in power and remains competitive in luck.

Dragon Head overview

Plan your progression so you get at least one strong S‑tier pick (Arcane or Demonic) before grinding for Dragon Head, otherwise Crimson Depths farming will be painfully slow. Dragon Head is best seen as a capstone for players who already have most other upgrades and now want to fully min‑max or flex their build.

Best runes and builds for pickaxes

Rune slots are what turn good pickaxes into great ones because they let you control power, speed, and luck instead of relying only on base stats. S‑tier picks with 3 slots (Arcane, Demonic, Dragon Head) gain the most from thoughtful rune setups.

Useful rune priorities:

Slot 1: Power rune until you consistently one‑shot rocks in your current zone.

Slot 2: Speed rune for faster swings and node clear speed once power feels comfortable.

Slot 3: Luck/rarity rune to push rare ores and special drops, especially on Arcane and Dragon Head.

For Demonic, lean harder into speed and power runes to offset its slower feel while still taking one luck rune if you farm rare nodes. For Arcane and Dragon Head, prioritize at least one strong luck rune because their high base power already keeps rocks manageable while you farm rare late‑game ores.

Optimal progression path (2026)

A clean progression path saves time, cash, and ores by skipping bad value upgrades and jumping directly into picks that matter long term. Below is a streamlined route that balances F2P grind and realistic power spikes.

Recommended flow:

Early: Starter → Bronze → Gold → Platinum (Stonewake’s Cross) until you reach Forgotten Kingdom.

Mid: Titanium → Mythril as primary mid‑game goal; optionally Cobalt/Uranium if you like AoE but want more comfort.

Late (Volcanic): Choose Magma or Lightite first depending on whether you value speed (Magma) or luck (Lightite).

S‑tier: Aim for Arcane as your main all‑round pick and then choose whether to invest into Demonic for flex power or save directly for Dragon Head.

Endgame: Farm Crimson Depths and complete its questline to unlock Dragon Head when you already have strong gear, race, and runes.

Races with strong luck bonuses, such as Angel‑type options listed in race tier lists, synergize especially well with Arcane, Lightite, and Dragon Head builds focused on rare‑ore farming. Pair your S‑tier pickaxe with late‑game armor that improves survivability and speed so you can safely farm tougher zones where Dragon Head materials and high‑value ores spawn.

Frequently asked questions

Q: What is the best starter pickaxe path?
Bronze → Gold → Platinum is enough to clear Stonewake comfortably before moving into Forgotten Kingdom for Titanium and Mythril.

Q: Which pickaxe is the best overall in 2026?
Dragon Head is considered the strongest overall pickaxe thanks to its very high power, strong luck, and synergy with endgame runes, but it is also the hardest and most expensive to obtain.

Q: Arcane vs Demonic vs Dragon Head – which should I get?
Arcane is the best all‑rounder and most practical first S‑tier goal, Demonic is a flex power pick for players who can afford slower swings and big costs, and Dragon Head is the ultra‑late, top‑end option once you are ready for Crimson Depths grinds.

Q: Is Uranium pickaxe worth crafting?
Uranium is fun for AoE farming and can help in mid‑game, but many players skip it and instead rush Mythril into Magma or Arcane to save ores and time.

Q: When should I start investing in runes?
Start as soon as you have a pickaxe with at least 1–2 slots (Platinum/Mythril range), but save your best runes for S‑tier picks like Arcane, Demonic, and Dragon Head so you do not waste rare upgrades on temporary tools.